About This Park

Take a trip back to an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life. Trips to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park are filled with rich history, unparalleled views and the sights and sounds of an original lumbering town. The park’s 11-mile long heritage railroad and authentic company town are some of the state’s most popular tourist attractions.

The Company Store, which houses a gift shop and also Shays Restaurant and Soda Fountain, is open with hours posted under "dining" below. The park also features an artisans co-op and the Cass Historical Theater and Historical Museum, one of America’s only authentic lumber railroading museums. The visitors center is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. in the summer season.

Winter hours at Cass run November 1 to March 31. During winter hours, the Company Store is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The Company Store is closed on Christmas Day.

Notice: The restaurant [Shays] located in the Company Store is open.

Accommodations

Select an option below to learn more about the accommodations at this park.

Activities

Select an activity below to learn more
  • Biking
  • Boating
  • Fishing
  • Geocaching
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • DeerViewing
    Hunting
  • Museums & Historical Sites
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Scenic Train Rides
Attraction is located outside of the park.

History

The town of Cass remains relatively unchanged since its founding in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. Cass was built as a company town for the loggers who worked in the nearby mountains. Construction of the railroad started in 1901. It was used to haul lumber to the mill at Cass. The railroad track was eventually extended to the top of Bald Knob, the third highest mountain peak in West Virginia. In June 1942, the Cass operation was sold to Mower Lumber Company, which operated the town until July 1960, when the mill and railroad were shut down due to rapid decline of the timber industry in the region. In 1961, Cass was brought into the state parks system. In 1977, the company town also was made part of the parks system. Over the years, the railroad was turned into a tourist line and the town was repaired and restored. Today, the railroad is still in full operation, and is managed by the Durbin Greenbrier Valley Railroad.

Scenic Train Rides

Catch a ride on Cass Scenic Railroad State Park’s main attraction, a train ride to the overlook at Bald Knob. Bald Knob is the third highest point in West Virginia, making for a breathtaking views and amazing photos. The Durbin Greenbrier Valley Railroad operates scenic trains from historic downtown, including a 4.5-hour round-trip ride to Bald Knob and a two-hour round-trip excursion to Whittaker Station.

Train excursions are available Tuesdays through Sundays, plus several special events throughout the year.

Listen to a WV Public Broadcasting Inside Appalachia story about Cass Locomotives and their history and caretakers.

To purchase tickets and view the full schedule, visit mountainrailwv.com

Dining

Shays Restaurant

In an age where rugged wilderness country, unspoiled streams and steam locomotives are but memories, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park provides unique appeal. Shiny black “Shay” steam locomotives continue to go into deep forests, recreating for visitors what was commonplace in 1905. Youth, many of whom have never seen an “iron horse,” literally jump for joy; and adults find it easy to remember the bygone era of steam engines on American Railroads; as billowing clouds of black sulfurous-smelling coal smoke, a clear and melodic whistle, and the hiss of clean white steam announce the departure of the train. Before or following your train ride, enjoy a meal at “Shays” at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

Summer hours are Memorial Day to Labor Day
May 29 – September 4, 2023
9:00AM – 9:00PM – Daily

Autumn into Spring Hours
September 5, 2023 to May 26, 2024
9:00AM – 8:00PM – Daily

Additional Information

Art, Dining, and Shopping

Cass has a restaurant and museum, plus shopping at the Company Store. The shops at Leatherbark Ford, featuring handcrafted items and artistry including paintings, needlework, quilts, blacksmithing, baskets, soaps. This local artisans co-op is open on Saturdays. Guided tours of the Town of Cass are available, and the park features an intricate diorama of the town when it was a logging community.

Trails

While Cass Scenic Railroad State Park does not have any trails of its own, the northern terminus of the Greenbrier River Trail is at Cass. This 78-mile-long rail trail, operated by the West Virginia state park system, is popular with hikers, bikers and horseback riders.

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park sits in the middle of the Allegheny Trail (ALT). The Allegheny Trail is a 311-mile north-south trail with its northern terminus on the Mason-Dixon Line at the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border near Bruceton Mills.  It wends it way south until it meets the Appalachian Trail on Peters Mountain at the Virginia-West Virginia border. Founded in 1972 by the West Virginia Scenic Trail Association, this trail is also known as the ALT.  To learn more about the ALT, click here.

Pickin’ on the Porch

This popular event is for local musicians and music lovers alike. Pickin’ on the Porch starts around 5 p.m. every Saturday from May to October. Bring your guitar, banjo or fiddle and pick along or listen and sing along.

Take a trip on horseback

Take a trip on horseback with Autumn Breeze stables from their facility at Silvercreek to the Bald Knob Cabin and Fire Tower. The trip is approximately 3.5 hours to the cabin where  you will be truly surrounded by wilderness and the opportunity to unplug, relax and enjoy. Meals are provided by the guide while you are there on this overnight trek. This is an experience that found only at Cass and nowhere else on the East Coast.

Call the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park directly for reservation and details.